Bottle-capping machine



m, 9, E9230 394N349 R. G. CLARK BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Filed April 14 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet l mmw @cft. 9 1 923.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. G. CLARK BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Filed April 14 1920 ATTORNEYS A --T y @cih. 9 1923.

' R. G. CLARK BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Filed April 14 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 9 9 119235. HAWGLMQ R. G. CLARK BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Fileci April 14, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 0 ATTORNEYS l,iltl49 ROBERT G. CLARK, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 at: GON CAN 6!; GAP

COM]? l ,INQ, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION Oil? it YORK.

JBOTTLJE-CAPPING MACHINE.

Application filed April It, 1920. serial No. 373,932.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T Ronnnr G. CLARK, a

citizen of the United tates, and resident of.

the borough of Brooklyn, in the city and State of New York, have invented a new and useful improvement in Bottle-Capping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bottle capping machines and has for an object to provide an apparatus of this character whereby screw ca s may be applied to bottles or other receptac es with great rapidity and without injury to the cap or coating thereon.

Another object is to provide such an apparatus in which the entire operation is automatic, including the feeding of the bottles, feeding of the caps, screwing on of the caps, and e ection of the bottles.

Another object consists in providing such an apparatus in which the bottle is held against movement while the caps are being applied and in which the latter are seated and screwed very firmly onto the bottles.

Another object consists in providing certain improvements in the form, construction and arrangement of the several arts whereby the above named and other ob ects may be effectively attained.

A practical emiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawrings, in which 1 Fig. 1 repute a detail side elevation of my capping machine.

Fig. 2 represents a detail top plan view of the sc.

Fig. 3 represents a detail transverse vertical section taken in the plane of the line TIT-TH of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. p

Fig. at represents a detail top plan view of the cap feeder.

Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive represent diagrammatic lan views showing more particularly the di erent positions of the cap screwing means and caps during a cycle of operations.

Figs. 9 to 12 inclusive represent diagrammatic plan views showing more particularlythe diflerent positions of the positive intermittent feeder for the bottles or other receptacles during'a cycle of its operations;

The machine includes a frame which com.- prises two opposite pairs of upper and lower longitudinal side bars, 1, 2 and 3, t,

which are, rigidly connected b pairs of front and rear uprights 5, 6 and 7, 8.

The main drive shaft 9 is mounted in suitable bearings in brackets 10, 11 on the side bars 2, a, and is arranged so as to extend diagonally across the machine. it is provided on one end with a pulley 12 adapted to receive a belt in order to impart motion to the shaft 9 from a suitable source of ower (not shown).

conveyor belt 13 adapted for feeding the bottles 14 leads longitudinally through the machine between the side bars 1 and 3 and rests on the tracksl5, 16. This conveyor belt may be driven at the desired speed from any suitable source of power (not shown) in order to feed the bottles into and eject them from the machine.

As the means provided for screwing the cap onto the bottle, after. it has been preliminarily seated thereon, forms a very important part of my invention, 1 will describe it at this 'uncture before setting forth the means for ceding the bottles and seating the caps thereon. This cap screwing mechanism includes two oppositely inclined rotar elements, as for instance, discs or whee s 17, 18. These discs are preferably of relatively large diameter, as compared with the diameter of the caps to be applied, and are carried at the upper ends of oppositely inclined upright shafts 19, 20, mounted in bearings contained in brackets 21, 22, that are secured to the outer faces of the side bars 1 and 3 of the machine frame. Collars 23, 2a are pinned on the shafts 19,20 to hold the same against downward longitudinal movement in their bearings. The shafts 19, are driven from the main shaft 9 through the worm wheels and worms '25, 26 and 27, 28, respectively.

The discs 17 and 18 are provided on about one-half of their peripheries with friction facings 29, 30, which may be composed oftit) posite directions so as to effect a rotary there is arranged a longitudinally disposed guide rail 35, which is located above the track 16 and supported b brackets 36 mounted on the side bar 3. T ese guide rails serve to determine the course of the bottles in passing through the machine.

The apparatus also includes means for sup porting and feeding the bottles step by step throu h the machine, which means includes a horizontal shaft 37 that is longitudinally disposed at one side of the machine and mounted in bearings contained in brackets 38, 39, bolted to the side bar 4. This shaft 37 is driven from the upright inclined shaft 20 through the beveled gears 40, 41. Vertical shafts 42, 43, are located at each end of the machine on the same side thereof as the shaft 37, and are mounted in bearings in pairs of brackets 44, 45, and 46, 47, respectively, which are secured to the upper and lower side bars 3, 4. These shafts 42, 43, are actuated by the shaft 37 through the bevel gears 48, 49 and 50, 51, respectively. The upper ends of the shafts 42, 43 carry crank discs 52,

53 which are fixed to said shafts and to which are pivoted the outer ends of arms 54,

55, the other ends of which are rigidly se cured to upper and lower longitudinally disposed finger bars 56, 57, which latter carry sets of fingers 58, 59, that are designed to separate and feed the bottles, which will be hereinafter described. As will be readily seen, these finger bars are given a substantially rotary movement by virtue of their connection with the shafts 42, 43, so that the fingers 58, 59 will be first inserted between the bottles moving inwadly on the conveyor belt 13, will then advance the bot ties, a predetermined distance, will then be withdrawn out of the path of the bottles and will then be returned to their original positions; this cycle of operations being continuously repeated to effect an intermittent or step by ste feed of the bottles through the machine. 11 order to prevent the bottles from being crushed or injured at the time of their first engagement by the finger bars,

a yielding finger 158 is pivoted to the bar 56, as indicated at 156, and normally held in almement with the other fingers by means of a retractile coil spring 258. As a result of this arrangement, if an incoming bottle should be engaged exactly centrally by the finger 158, the latter, instead of crushing the bottle, would yield slightly and urge the with respect to the other fingers throughout its travel.

While the bottles are passing through the machine, under the influence of the finger bars 56, 57, they rest and move upon a stationary plate 113, which is secured to the side bars 1, 3, of the machine frame and lies in a plane immediately above the conveyor belt 13. The ends of the plate 113 are beveled off, and the action of the finger bars 56, 57, serves to slide the bottles from the conveyor belt 13 onto the plate 113 as the bottles are moving into the machine and to return the bottles to the conveyor belt as they leave the machine.

The apparatus also contains mechanism for feedin the screw caps into position to be engage by and seated upon the mouths of the bottles; and this mechanism includes a chute 60 which is suitably supported at an angular position, with its lower end about level with the discs 17, 18. The said chute has its lower portion extending in substantiall the same vertical plane as the path of the ottles, and the bottom of its lower end is cut away, as shown at 61, in order to-permit the entrance therein of the mouth of the incoming bottles. The sides and top of the chute at its discharge end are also cut away, and leaf springs 62, 63, 64, are arranged to engage the opposite sides and the top of the lowermost cap for yieldingly holding it in an inclined position in the path of the mouth of the immediately incoming bottle, so that the cap will be engaged by the mouth of the bottle and removed from the chute as the bottle asses from under the latter. It wlll be un erstood that the caps are fed to the chute right side up and that they ass downwardly to the discharge end under the influence of gravity. The top spring 64, is ar ranged to project a little farther than the side springs 62, 63, in order to insure theproper seating of the caps on the mouths of the bottles.

Means is provided for holding the bottles in proper position and against turning while the caps are bein screwed thereon by the discs 17, 18, and t is means includes a horizontal swinging arm which is pivoted at 66 on top of the guide rail 35. This arm is cut away on its inner side, and this portion is preferab] faced with a friction strip 67, such as leat er or rubber; whereby the arm may partially embrace one side of the bottle with a frictional grip when the bottle is in lOO siosition to be operated by the discs 17, 18.

diate expansion spring 76. The inner memher 69 has its end reduced and let into the outer side of the arm 65 as indicated at 169, while the outer member 68 is slidably mount ed in a bracket 71 bolted to the side bar 3. A face cam 72 is secured to the shaft 26 and abuts the outer end of the member 68 so as to intermittently increase the force of the inward pressure on the arm 65 to cause the latter to engage the bottles with suficient force as they are fed intermittently into position to be acted upon by thediscs 17, 18.

A pin 165 is set into the guide rail 35'and Kill serves to limit the inward movement of the arm 65.

Upon the opposite side of the path of the bottles there is mounted a yoke 73 which is carried by an arm 74 that is pivoted at 75 on the bracket 34 to swin in a vertical plane. This arm 7 4 carries a rol er 76 that is adapted to abut a face cam 77 that is mounted on the upright shaft 19, a retractile coil ring 78 being provided for yieldingly ho ding the arm 74 in its upright position with the roller 76 against the cam 77. The action of the cam 77 is to move the arm 74 inwardly at predetermined intervals and thereby cause the yoke 7 3 to embrace the side of the bottle opposite from that which is partly embraced by the swinging arm 65. It will be understood that the arm 65 and yoke 73 work synchronistically so as to simultaneously embrace such bottle and firmly hold it against rotation during the operation of the screw i discs 17, 18.

order to insure a firm seating of the caps on the bottles in proper alinement with the necks thereof, I rovlde mechanism for yieldingly pressing ownwardly upon each cap during the operation of the screwing discs 17, 18. This mechanism includes a horizontally disposed bar 79 which lies parallel with the path of the bottles and slightly above the discs 17 18. This bar is supported by arms 80, 81, which are screwed to uprights 82, 83, mounted on the guide rail 32. A plunger 84 is slidably mounted in a hollow screw 85 which is threaded in the bar 79 immediately above the position assumed by each bottle at the time it is being acted upon by the discs 17, 18. An expansion spring 86 surrounds the shank 87 of the plunger and abuts the head of the plunger and the interior of the screw 85, so as to normally urge the plunger 84 downwardly. The tension of this spring may be adjusted by turning the screw 85 m the bar 79. A cam plate 88 is fixed to the lower end of the plunger 84 and projects laterally upwardly toward the incoming bottles. The cam plate 88 is held against turning out of proper position with respect to the path of the incoming bottles by a stud 188 which is sec w to the extremity thereof and fitted to slidably. travel in a recem formed in-the bar 79.

As an additional means for exerting downward pressure upon each cap as it lsbeing screwed onto a bottle, ll mount a lug 117 upon the top of the disc 17 and at the periphery thereof, which lug carries a roller In operation the bottles are placed successively upon the conveyor belt 13 in any well known and approved manner and. are thence carried along by the belt until the leading bottle is engaged by the yielding finger 158 carried by the finger bar 56, and moved from the conveyor belt 13 onto the stationary plate 113. The movement of the finger bars 56, 57, then causes the m m are carried thereby to engage the bottle and move it along on the plate 113 step by step, each movement being equal to the throw of the crank discs 52, 53. .As the bottle is moved along, it is held in a straight path by the guide rails 32, 33, 35, and its mouth finally the cap into position loosely seated on the.

bottle. Further movement of the bottle causes the top of the cap to be 'Ml b l the inclined portion of the cam plate 88 which tends to further press the cap do upon the'bottle. After a little further movement the bottle arrives at a position in line with the axes of the discs 17 18, and the cap is thenfinally driven downwardl by the plunger 84 under the influence o the spring 86 and the roller 217. As the bottle reaches this position, it is firmly gripped by the arm 65 and yoke 73 and held ainst turning. At this juncture the rotation of the discs 17, 18, brings the leading ends of the friction surfaces 29, 30, into contact with the sides of the cap and, as these surfaces at their points of contact with the cap are moving in opposite directions, they serve to remainder of the discs, the operation of the.

parts may be soted as to permit the free entrance of the bottle between the discs, while their portions of lesser radial size-are adjacent the path of the bottle, and the im mediately bsequent operation of the ca upon thee without the necessityof any movement of the discs away from or toward the bottle. This is an important feature, among other reasons because it obviates the necessity of having the discs 17 and 18 under the influence of inward pressure which might tend to crush or injure the cap or bottle or both. Furthermore, the angular mounting offthe discs 17 and 18 enables the portions of their peripheries engaging the cap to travel with the axial movement of the cap as it is screwed onto the bottle, without the necessity of any axial movement of the shafts upon which the discs are mounted. Preferably the angle of inclination of the discs 17 and 18 corresponds to the angle of the thread on the cap so that there will be practically no sliding or rubbing movementof the discs on the cap during the operation. While I have described the operation in connection with a single bottle and cap, it is of course clear that the bottles and caps may be put through the machine in unl'mited numbers and in immediate success1on.

It will be understood that the entire operation of screwing the cap home is performed so quickly that takes place during a pause of the bottle in its step by step movement under the action of the finger bars.

After the cap has been screwed home the bottle is moved along by the finger bars and finally passed from the plate 113 onto the conveyor belt 13 in order to be carried to its destination.

While I have shown and described my invention as used for capping bottles, it is obvious that it may also be used aS a machine for applying screw caps to receptacles of any character.

It will be understood that various changes may be resorted to in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and hence I do not intend to be limited to the details herein showg and described except as they may be included in the claims.

'hat I claim is:

'1. In a bottle capping machine, fixedly mounted means having a rolling contact with the cap to impart to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, and means for feeding the bottles to said screwing means.

2. In a bottle capping machine, a fixedly mounted rotary element having a surface for contacting with the side of the cap to impart to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it onto the bottle. said surface being of greater length than the circumference of the cap, and being adapted to contact with the side of the cap in substantial parallelism therewith when considered in the direction of the axis of the cap, and means for feeding the bottle to said screwing means.

3. In a bottle capping machine, means having a rolling contact with the cap to impart to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, said means including a fixedly mounted element fitted to rotate in a plane inclined to the axis of the cap, and means. for vfeedingthe bottles to said screwing means.

4. In a bottle capping machine, fixedly mounted means having a rolling contact with the opposite sides of the cap to impart to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle,

and means for feeding the bottles to said screwing means.

5. In a bottle capping machine, means having a rolling contact with the op osite sides of the cap to impart to it a com ined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, said meansincluding fixedly mounted elements fitted to rotate in planes oppositely inclined to the axis of the cap.

6. In a bottle capping machine, means for engaging the cap with a rolling contact to impart to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, said means including a rotary shaft fixed against longitudinal and lateral movements, and an element fixed to said shaft, and means for feeding the bottles to said screwing means.

7. In a bottle capping machine, means for engaging the opposlte sides of the cap with a rolling contact to impart to itacombined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, said means comprisin rotary shafts fixed against longitudina and lateral movements and screwing elements fixed to said shafts.

8. In a bottle capping machine, means for engaging the opposite sides of the cap with a rolling contact to impart to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing-it on to the bottle, said means comprising oppositely inclined rotary shafts fixed-against longitudinal and lateral movements and screwing elements fixedto said shafts.

prising a fixedly reverses mounted rotary element inclined to the axis of and engaging the side of the cap, and means for feeding the bottles to said screwing means.

11. In a bottle capping machine, means for engaging the cap to impart to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, said means comprising a rotary element inclined to the axis of the cap and having a se ent of increased radius for engaging the slde of the cap.

12. In a bottle capping machine, means for engaging the cap to impart to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, said means commounted rotary shaft inclined to the axis of the cap and an element carried thereby in position to engage the side of the cap, and means for feeding the bottles to said screwing means.

13. In a bottle capping machine, means for engaging the cap to ,impart to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, said means comprising a rotary shaft inclined to the axis of the cap and an element carried thereby having a segment of increased radius arranged to engagle the side of the cap.

14. In a bott e capping machine, fixedly mounted rotary means for engaging the opposite sides of the cap with a rollin contact to impart to it a combined longitu inal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, and means for feeding the bottles to said screwing means.

15. In a bottle capping machine, means for engaging the cap to impart to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing 1t on to the bottle, said means comprising fixedly mounted rotary elements inclined to the axis of and for engaging the opposite sides of the cap, and means for feeding the bottles to said screwing means.

16. In a bottle capping machine, means for en aging the cap to impart to it a combined on 'tudinal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, said means comprisin fixedly'mounted rotary elements opposite y inclined to the axis of and for engaging the opposite sides of the cap, and means for feeding the bottles to said screwing means.

17. Ina bottle capping machine, means for en ging the cap to impart to it a combined Idngitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, said means comprising rotary elements inclined to the axis of the cap and having segments of increased radius for engaging the opposite sides of the ca 18. n a bottle capping machine, means for engaging the cap to impart to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, said means comprising rotary elements oppositely inclined to the axis of the cap and having segments of increased radius for engaging the opposite sides of the cap.

19. In a bottle capping machine, means for engaging the cap to impart to it a term bined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, said means comprising fixedly mounted rotary shafts oppositely inclined to the axis of the cap and elements carried thereby for engaging the op osite sides. of the ca 20. n a bottle capping mac ine, means for engagin the cap to impart to it a combined longitu inal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, said means comprising rotary shafts oppositely inclined to the axis of the cap and elements carried thereby having segments of increased radii for engaging the opposite sides of the cap,

21. n a bottle capping machine, means for engaging the cap to impart to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, said means comprising fixedl mounted rotary shafts oppositely mclined to the axis of the cap, rotary elements carried thereby for engaging the opposite sides of the cap, and a common drive shaft for said inclined shafts.

22. In a bottle capping machine, fixedl mounted means for engaging the cap wi a rollin contact to impart to it a combined longitu inal rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, and means for holding the bottle against turning while the cap is being screwed on.

23. In a bottle ca ping machine, a retary shaft, a rotary element carried thereby engaging the cap or imparting to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement to screw the cap on to the bottle, and means controlled by said rotary shaft for holding the bottle against turning while the cap is being screwed on.

24. In a bottle capping machine, arotary shaft inclined to the axis of the cap, a rotary element carried thereby engaging the cap for imparting to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement to screw the cap on to the bottle, and means controlled by said rotary shaft for holding the bottle against turning while the cap is being screwed on.

25. In a bottle capping machine, rotary shafts, elements carried thereby engaging the opposite sides of the cap for imparting to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement to screw it on to the bottle, and means controlled by said shafts for holding the bottle against turning while the cap is being screwed on.

26. In a bottle capping machine, rotary shafts oppositely inclined to the axis of the cap, elements carried thereby engaging the opposite sides of the cap for imparting to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement to screw it on to the bottle, and means tee rat

controlled by said inclined shafts for holding the bottle against turning while the cap is being screwed on.

27. In a bottle capping machine, a pair of horizontally arranged rotary elements oppositely inclined to the axis of the cap, means for feeding the bottles with the caps thereon intermittently to a position between said rotary elements, said rotaryelements having raised surfaces arranged to coact to impart a combined longitudinal and rotary movement to the cap to screw it on to the bottle.

28. In a bottle capping machine, means for feeding a bottle with a cap loosely positioned thereon, a rotary device for imparting to the cap a combined longitudinal and rotary movement for s:rewing it onto the bottle, said device having a part projecting toward the path of the bottle a sufficient distance to engage the cap and another part terminating a suflicient distance from the path of the bottle to permit the latter to pass freely thereby,'and means for actuating said device so as to cause its said parts to move successively toward 'and away from the bottle.

29. In a bottle capping machine, means for feeding a bottle with a cap loosely positioned thereon, a plurality of rotary devices for imparting to the cap a combined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it onto the bottle, said devices being mounted on opposite sides of the path of the to move successively toward and away from the path of the bottle.

30. In a bottle capping machine, means for engaging the cap to impart to it a combined longitudinal and rotary movement for screwing it on to the bottle, said means comprising a rotary element having a segment of increased radius for engaging the side of the'capQ i 31. In a bottle capping machine, means for engaging the cap to impart to it a combined lon itudinal and rotary movement for screwing 1t onto the bottle, said means comprising rota elements having segments of increased ra ius for engaging the opposite sides of the cap. 

